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Sunday, September 6, 2015

One of the best aerobic
activities that provides minimal impact to the joints is swimming. While
running is hard on the body and cycling is not as physically demanding as
running, swimming is an ideal activity that people can use to stay in shape
late into their golden years.

Ironically, swimming is one
activity that many people avoid for many reasons including a fear of the water.
What I have found to be one of the main reasons people avoid swimming is their
inability to swim correctly. Poor form is horribly inefficient and can easily
tire out the athlete.

When swimming form is
everything. A good efficient swimmer can
move through the water with easy and feel refreshed after swimming 1800 yards.
An inefficient swimmer can cover that same distance and feel like they have
expended the energy running a marathon.

One of the main forms of
inefficiency in the water is the inability of a new swimmer to put their face
in the water. When your face is not in
the water and your head is raised to breath, your swim stroke is choppy and
your feet and legs will sink. This
horrible swim position is anything but streamlined and causes more friction
against the water. Instead of working with a streamlined approach, you end up
fighting the water more than necessary.

When I was learning to swim I too
struggled with having to keep my face in the water. While it didn’t bother me
to have the feeling of water on my face, the struggle for me, and for many new
swimmers, is the ability to exhale under water.
This one element, if learned, will allow you to work on improving other
aspects of your swim stroke.

So how do you overcome the
discomfort from or inability to put your face in the water? What sounds easy
enough to do can be a daunting task for even the most determined new
swimmers. Here are some easy drills to
help you improve your swim stroke and become comfortable having your face in
the water.

First, get in the shallow end of
the pool and submerse yourself to get your body wet. This will help you get comfortable with
experiencing water over your entire body.

Next, simply bend over and slowly
pace your face in the water. You want to have the water to just cover your
face. Doing this for 10 seconds at a
time will get your comfortable with the sensation of having water on your face.

Now we will add breathing. Exhaling under water is critical to swim
success and this drill helped me overcome my inability to exhale. Get your face close to the water and turn it
to the left. Not take a deep breath and
begin to exhale out of your mouth and nose and you slowly rotate your face to the
right, easing your face into the water, ending your rotation to the right.

This easy to do drill will help
you gain comfort with having your face in the water while helping your work on
your breathing at the same time.

HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a
Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise
Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.
He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons,
ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events. He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems
Advanced Team.

By far the most popular endurance
activity is running. If you are new to
exercise or a competitive athlete, the ease of access to running somewhat makes
it a default exercise medium to numbers and popularity. All you need is some simple clothing, a great
pair of shoes and an open road. Sounds
easy enough but like most other things, there is always something that has to
make the process difficult. In the case of running, it’s the shoes!

While running has been around
since man first stood on two feet, shoes are a relatively new “advancement” in
the evolution of the human race. While one would not think there could be a lot
of difference in a pair of shoes, logging on to Zappos and search for “Running
Shoes” will produce more results than one can comprehend.

Shoes are much like cars and
other clothing. You develop brand
preferences and what works for one person, will not work for another. And much
like cars and clothing what often happens is you get attached to a particular
model, size or fit and then, whammo, the manufacture completely changes the
product and you are left having to find a new favorite.

I recently found myself in this
predicament. I have been a faithful Saucony Kinvara wearer. All was well until the Kinvara 5’s came out this
spring. With much anticipation I could
not wait to get my new Kinvara 5’s! Once
they arrived I could not wait to send them back. Saucony completely changed the
model to something that did not work for me.

Enter the Newton Gravity. Searching for shoes can be as taxing as well,
preparing your taxes. I was on a tear to find a new shoe so I decided to give
the Newton Gravity a try. I have always known about Newton and their unique
technology peaked my curiosity so I decided to give them a try.

Runblogger.com describes Newton
running shoes as unique in that they are designed specifically for
midfoot/forefoot runners. They accomplish this by reducing the height of the
heel and increasing the cushion in the forefoot such that the overall offset or
difference in thickness between heel and forefoot is minimized. In other words,
Newton shoes have a flatter sole than most typical running shoes, and this
makes it less likely that a runner will heel strike in them.

In addition to the minimal
heel-toe differential, Newton shoes also have a unique system of “actuator
lugs” under the forefoot that are designed to absorb shock upon impact and then
release it on toe off. Newton calls this Action/Reaction Technology™. The idea
is that the lugs get compressed under pressure when the forefoot contacts the
ground, and then they spring back, releasing energy during toe-off.

While on the pricy side, the New
Gravity (and entire Newton line with models for all distances and pronation) is
performance oriented and delivers a great running experience. While providing
cushioning and still allowing you to feel the road, ease into Newton’s the
“actuator lugs” do take some getting used to.

While an apple may not fall on
head, the Newton Gravity’s will give you a great run and you can save that
apple for a post race snack!

HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast. He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events. He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Endurance training and racing nutrition for athletes
can be a difficult obstacle in their path to fitness and body composition
goals. In all honesty, many people over think nutrition and it really is very
simple. When I signed up to train and
race with QT2 Systems, one of the first things they did was get me on their
Core Diet program. It’s easy to follow and it works. Below I’ve outlined QT2
Systems Core Diet 10-point plan to improve your performance, body composition,
and overall health.

1) Only eat grains (which include white
potatoes) and man-made sugars within one hour prior to workouts, during
workouts, or after the workout within a window as long as the duration of the
workout.

2) Eat lean meats, fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds,
legumes, and lean dairy all other periods of the day (organic is best). If
possible, include red meat once a week (grass fed is best). Juicing is also a
great way to supplement your core food intake (not replace!).

3) Use the “Core Ratio” formula to give
non-core foods a glycemic “score” before eating them. Look at the label on the
food and note the values for the carbs, sugar, fiber, fat and protein, and plug
them into this equation: (carbs+sugar-fiber)/(fat+protein). Anything that
scores less than two is okay to eat during the day during Core periods provided
it has less than five grams of saturated fat and “healthy” ingredient list.
This includes dark chocolate with cacao greater than 85 percent.

4) Do not drink coffee unless it’s within one
hour prior to key workouts. As an alternative to coffee, you may use
caffeinated fueling products during key workouts….choose one! All other periods
of the day your caffeine source should be green tea as needed. As a practical limit, keep caffeine intake
below 200mg per day, and 1000mg per week.

5) Focus on consuming omega-3 rich foods such
as canola oil, walnuts and salmon for 2 grams of EPA/DHA per day minimum.

6) Workouts should always be well fueled with
at least 0.6 grams of carbohydrate per hour, per pound on the bike (and use
half of that for running). Sodium content in these fuels should be at least 8
mg per gram of carbohydrate. Fat and protein content should be minimal.

7) Post-workout food should always include a
sugar-based recovery drink with protein in a 3-1 or 4-1 ratio of carbs to
protein. This drink should contain almost no fat. If a recovery drink is not
available, choose foods that are high glycemic, and contain minimal fat or
fiber. Endurox is an excellent choice.

8) Aim to consume fluids on a daily basis
using this equation: Take your body weight (number of pounds), and divide it in
half. That is the number of ounces you should be drinking each day, in addition
to the extra fluid you lose during workouts.

9) Have one cheat meal each week. Ideally this
meal should be grain-based and be the night before your week’s longest most
demanding workouts. Eat until very satisfied…not stuffed.

10) Reduce fasting periods by eating very
frequently—close to rising, and close to retiring for the night. Every one to
three hours is best, while sticking to the serving sizes that are suggested on
packages. For non-packaged core foods (i.e., apple, banana, sweet potato, etc.)
eat one to two items in a sitting.

This summarized version of the Core Diet will keep
you feeling on top of your game by providing key nutrient density, while
keeping blood sugar stable throughout the day. Nothing replaces working with a
dietitian to establish specific macronutrient goals relative to your needs, but
this plan will get you started in the right direction. Embrace the power of
nature’s foods, while understanding that the extraordinary feats that we ask of
our bodies during training also require extraordinary man-made fuels.

HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA
Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance
enthusiast. He competes yearly in
numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance
events. He is a member of the 2015 QT2
Systems Advanced Team.

It is a beautiful day and you are excited to
exercise. You feel ready to go and are sure it’s going to be a great
experience. Then less than halfway
through your workout you start to hit the wall. Your arms and legs become
heavy, you energy drops and what looked to be a promising exercise session has
crashed into a ball of flames.

We have all been there when we experienced the
dreaded “bonk,” that feeling you get when you run out of energy and putting one
foot in front of the other one seems like an insurmountable task. So what
happened? The body is much like a car
that uses fuel to operate. When the car runs out of gas, the motor stops
running. This is very similar to what happens in the body. When the body runs out of fuel, coupled with other
factors, it continues to operate but not at the level you desire.

Do you find yourself losing energy halfway
through your workouts? Find out what the culprits might be--and how to give
yourself a much-needed boost.Here are eight energy
zappers that can rob your body of energy needed for optimal athletic
performance.

Don’t forget to eat complex carbohydrates.
Carbs provide the glucose muscles need to operate. When the sugar is gone, you
experience the dreaded “bonk.”

Get plenty of rest. Whether you're skimping on
sleep or you're exercising too much, a lack of rest and recovery can zap your
energy levels and hurt your progress, too. Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep
each night, so reorganize your day and your time so that you can get as much
shut-eye as possible each night.

Plan your exercise and get into a habit.

Variety is the spice of life. Whether you take your indoor workouts outside or try a new
fitness class, variety will keep boredom at bay and help you get better results

Make sure your iron supply is sufficient. Iron
is a trace mineral that helps blood carry oxygen to the muscles throughout the
body, keeping them powered up during a workout. In general, an iron deficiency
can also lead to sagging energy levels. Women are more likely to experience low
iron levels, but if you suspect your body is low on iron, talk to your doctor.
A simple blood test can determine if iron is an issue, and your doctor can help
you get back on track. You'll find iron in lean red meat, fortified cereals, and
leafy greens, but steer clear of supplements (unless recommended by your
doctor) because too much iron can be toxic.

Eat for energy. Proper planning of your meals and snacks will give your body
steady fuel. On days that you plan a heavy workout, you might need to eat even
more before you head to the gym.

Deal with stress. . Instead of letting your stress prevent you
from hitting the gym, think of your workout as a much-needed break. Use this
small window of "me" time to mentally sort through any issues you've
been dealing with lately.

Stay hydrated. When not exercising, be
sure you get 80+ ounces a water a day.

HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA
Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance
enthusiast. He competes yearly in
numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other
endurance events. He is a member of the
2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

@ChrisVokaty

Feel Like A Rock Star

About Me

I have many roles in life as a husband to May, father to Elliana, Director of Sales Learning Delivery, church member and believer in Christ, fitness columnist, personal trainer, group exercise instructor, coach and endurance athlete! At 47, I am in the best shape of my life!